Wednesday, August 27, 2014

I know I mentioned before that I was renaming the years from K/1/2 etc. to "Year 1," with this being "Year 2," but when we did our back-to-homechool pictures this week, I still but "1st" on there. That being said, today was our "first day," but we spent it at the Dallas Arboretum and then the Perot Museum to catch the end of the "Largest Dinosaurs" exhibit before it moves on. So, tomorrow will be our first day with our new "Year 2" schedule and curriculum. We are heading to DisneyWorld in mid-September, so our first two weeks will be a bit lighter, with the project-based subjects like history, science, and writing/literature not starting until after we get back. When we return, our schedule will be 8am-2:30pm on Mondays - Thursdays, with a few quick things like a spelling test and some different, challenging math on Friday mornings before piano lessons, with the afternoon free for field trips, meet up with friends, or just hanging out and free time.We put some of the subjects on the back-burner last year (or took them much slower) as we adapted to life, as I wrote about before, so some of what we are doing this year I had originally planned for Year 1. However, most of what I had planned for Year 1 was at least "1st grade" level, so I am not worried about it being "too easy" for this year. In fact, while SC is advanced in understanding-type subjects, things like penmanship are still on target for her age, which meant working ahead in some things means either I did most of the writing for her, or we adapted (or in the case of some stuff, we held off for this year). In the end, here is a look at the curriculum I have planned for Year 2:LANGUAGE ARTS:Language Smartslevel B (finish)Language Smartslevel CJacob's LadderPrimary 1 (finish)Jacob's Ladder Primary 2Vocabu-Lit level BSpellWell levels A and AAExplode the Code (various levels to reinforce phonics, not necessarily to teach reading)Handwriting Without TearsReading Detective BeginningBraveWriter- Jot it Down *We are doing a fairy tale project all year that came from the Bravewriter book Jot It Down, where we will be reading and studying ten separate fairy tales from Perrault, Andersen and the Grimm brothersBraveWriter - Arrow*The BraveWriter "Arrow" program is technically for 3rd grade, but we will be reading books on SC's level and modifying the dictation portions into copywork and more manageable amounts for her physical writing ability. We will not be following their choice plan for this year, as I was able to choose individual books from past years. Our list is:Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlanTurtle in Paradise by Jennifer M. HolmThe Lemonade War by Jaqueline DaviesCharlotte's Web by E.B. WhiteBecause of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamilloHenry Huggins by Beverly ClearyDetectives in Togas by Henry WinterfeldIn the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao LordHarriet the Spy by Louise FitzhughAll-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney TaylorHISTORY:History Odyssey Ancients (finish)History Odyssey Middle Ages (begin)MATH:Singapore Primary Mathematics1B (finish)Singapore Primary Mathematics 2AZacarro's Primary Grade Challenge Math(begin)Mathematical Reasoning level B (finish)Mathematical Reasoning level Cvarious logic books from Critical Thinking Company and othersSCIENCE:Building Foundations of Scientific UnderstandingK-2 (begin)SPANISH:Song School Spanish (finish)Sabio Octaviogrammar, math and reading/spellingBIBLE:Telling God's StoryYear 1 (finish)Telling God's StoryYear 2ART/MUSIC/PHYSICAL ED:Meet the Masterspiano lessons, Broadway class at the local theatre, swimming, gymnastics and soccer, plus we got a subscription to a local symphony for the year and are very excited to be able to take SC to these concertsAlso, part of the BraveWriter "lifestyle" is experiencing the stories of life through nature hikes, poetry tea parties, listening to all kinds of music, watching movies, ballets, operas, stage performances, and then being able to understand the narrative and retell the stories in your own words. This is one of the reasons I chose BraveWriter, as it encompasses so much of what else we will already be doing.

I hope everyone is off to a great start to their 2014/15 year, whether in their homeschool or in school away from home!

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I am 32 years old, have been married for 11 years to a ridiculously smart Oracle guru, and I am a stay-at-home-mom to a eight-year-old little girl who is sweet/ fun/ wild/ smart/ exuberant/ difficult. I have two bachelor's degrees, one in history and one in literature, and have finished the second year of my masters in library science. If I could choose any job in the world, I would like to get paid to read all day; maybe to give my opinion, but mostly to just sit and read all day long. I love to read. I enjoy writing, and find that I communicate much better with the option to edit and revise first. I like to sew and quilt, and am loving our new house that has space for that to happen regularly. I also enjoy gardening, both flowers and vegetables. I am a Christian, and I love the Lord with all my heart.